New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-16
= ENIT SIP pHS

Mr.. Sparks has submitted to the inevitable
and resigned. In doing so he has written a
letter making a aborcd defence of his course
and intmating that Mr.. LamarS action. which
eliminated in his letter published on
Saturday. forcShadows change III the
Administrations land pciicy. Every one
who read Mr.. Lamars letter viii
understand why Mr. Sparks is conSplcuouSy
and indcccntly unfit for any public position of
nuSt. The man has cared nothing for his duty
to supcliors, nothing for the efficiency of the
public service as "A whole nothing for the rights
of settlers but solely for his individual chances
for making political capital. Imagining that
il would make him popular TO treat all other
public officers and all honest settlers as engaged
ia tlying to Swindlc the Government, and be
f,nicd by certain papers. which have seemed
to be edited for stock -jobbIng purposes cN-
cInsvcy into Il belief that in as,ailing the
grants and smashing the stocks Of various rail
roads he was making himself the hero Of the
people. Sparks contrvcd to insult Mr..
Lamar until even the sleepy and long suffering
Secretary concluded that Sparks must 90.
But how happens it that change 50 obviously
necessary was not made long ago? There is
something really extraordinary in the bclatcd
discovery by the Secretary that Mr. Sparks Is
an unfit officer. More than two years ago MI.
Lamar knew the insOlcnt INSTRUMENTATION OF
Sparks lust as well a. he does now. Long ago,
in public orders Nr. Lamar ccnsmcd Sparks 50
severely that il was plain he wanted the Com
missioner removed. If Sparks had possessed
the instincts Of a gentleman, he would have
refused to stay in office an hour after such
IL hi, I41 Il
error and determined to correct his conduct.
But he stayed to insult his superior to outrage
settlers. to make trouble for the Administra-
ton. in crazy effort to capture popularity Tor
himself. That is not strange But II Is utterly
incomplchcnsibc that Mr. Lamar, unless forced
by the Presidents refusal To make change
tolerated this mans presence i'll the land oiilcc
for years after his conduct was found offensive.
only TO protest against il and demand Sparks
removal when he Lamar, was about TO leave
the Interior Department.
This brings the whole business before the
public in a light peculiarly discrcdiiabic to the
Administration. Sparks was from the first IN
every respect unfit and unworthy an arrant
domagoguc without any sense Of public or DILL
cial duty, and Mr.. Lamar knew 1t years ago.
Yet ne and President Cleveland suffered Sparks
10 remain in a position which he dSglaccd'
until Mr. Lamar was Just ready to leave the
Department for the Supreme Court How could
either the President or the Secretary tolerate
the presence Of Sparks ali this time? No cN-
PLANTATION appears except this, that Mr.. Sparks
was supposed to be pandcring successfully to
popular prcjudccs in land matters, and the
Administration wanted to absorb the favor Of
those whose ignorant notions he pleased while
quietly setting aside his rulings. But at last
Mr.. Lamar was to leave, and perhaps no new
Secretary Of the Interior could be found who
would tolerate Sparks as Il Commissioner, or
consent to begin as Secretary with a row III the
Department..
roads in the Interior Department, may have
made il a condition that Sparks should be got
out Of the land Office before he would consent
to take Lamar's place. Sparks might have
been dismissed by the President on his OWN
responsibility. But Mr.. Cleveland chose to
appear forced to make some change by Il dis
agreement between the Secretary and the Com
missioner. Does he suppose that the pubic
will not remember that Mr.. Lamar was about
to be translated by the Presidents own order.
and that il was therefore Of no practical con-
sequence any longer whether the Secretary or
The Commissioner agreed or not? As Mr..
Sparks has resigned, that would appear to be
the only inference admissible.